ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · straw · lash · clip · bulb · object · track · cabinet

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. clip — a video
  6. track — a song
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. track — a path
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. object — a thing
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com